Fuuki Japanese Restaurant
417 Pacific Hwy
Crows Nest
NSW, 2065

The wooden, cramped interior of Fuuki is warm and inviting, especially since the fragrant smells of Japanese cooking wafts around inside – talk about an instant way to get our stomach juices going! We were lucky to get a seat, as they only have a handful of tables and are booked out almost every night by groups of Japanese. The waitresses were really friendly and there was a chef manning the sushi bar near us, fascinating the diners with his sushi-making skills.

I’d originally was keen on some sushi (which they’re pretty famous for), but considering it was so cold outside, we decided on some hot cooked food instead. I was surprised at the prices, considering the place just looked like a simple, unassuming Japanese cafe. It was actually quite pricey, at around $20-30pp.

After a little deliberation, we decided to start with the Beef Tataki. Was VERY glad we decided on that.. it was so delicate and lovely! Beef Tataki is basically raw premium steak, seared very quickly and lightly, and served with a light soy sauce with garlic and shallots. The beef was all soft and juicy and raw on the inside, with a lovely seared exterior – the mix of the 2 flavours (raw beef vs cooked beef) was just divine. And despite being an appetiser, it was actually quite filling.

Next was the Pork Katsu with rice, which I wanted immediately when I saw it on the menu. It’s probably considered more of a ‘Westernised’ Japanese dish, especially when compared to Unagi (ie. BBQ eel) or the like.. but I was keen to try it anyway. The pork was so soft and tender, and the deep-fried breadcrumbs encasing the pork was all crisp and crunchy – yum! It came served with a big Japanese-style salad on the side, which went really well with the unhealthiness of the deep fried dish and a big bowl of Japanese rice.

After Chris had asked for the bill, I suddenly decided I just needed some Japanese ice cream, to round off our dinner. So we quickly asked the waitress to squeeze in a Green Tea ice cream with red beans. The red beans went really well with the light flavour of the ice cream, and it made the perfect dessert – not too creamy or rich.

Very lovely, authentic Japanese food, with a cosy atmosphere.. the customers and waitresses and chefs speaking in Japanese make you feel like you’re sitting in a cafe in the middle of Japan. Just wish they were a little cheaper!

Inside Fuuki, the chef’s hard at work making sushi!

Beef Tataki

Pork Katsu with rice

Green tea ice cream with red beans